Sam Dorman

Sam Dorman grew up in Arizona, thousands of miles away from the beaches and blue water of Rio de Janeiro where his legacy would later be etched in Olympic history. With hard work, perseverance, and dedication, Sam’s talent led him to Rio in 2016 where he earned the Olympic Silver Medal in synchronized 3-meter springboard diving with partner Michael Hixon.

Sam’s journey to Olympian started in the local pool in Tempe, AZ. Sam grew up playing sports, like basketball and baseball, gymnastics, and swimming at the city’s rec center. At the suggestion of a coach from the city’s rec center, Sam pursued diving and joined the club diving team at Arizona State University. By 5th grade, Sam had made his first national team. By 7th grade he quit all other sports to concentrate solely on diving where his talent was clear, but lacked focus. Injuries would later plague Sam’s progress: Sam shattered his foot in 8th grade and was forced to have reconstructive surgery, which took him off the diving board for a whole year. Even though he couldn’t dive, Sam attended practice daily to watch, to support, to mentally stay in the game.

Sam’s dedication and drive pushed him to conquer the mental and physical challenges he faced. At age 16, Sam won his first national title and was quickly recruited by Coaches (and Olympians) Randy Ableman and Dario Di Fazio at the University of Miami. Once Sam was at UM, his focus and goal was singular – the Olympics.

Sam competed for the University of Miami where won his first U.S. National Championship in 2013 sweeping the springboard competition. Later that year, Sam made the 2013 U.S. National Team in synchronized diving and traveled the world competing for the U.S. In 2015 Sam won the NCAA’s and still holds the record today.He has since made the National team every year since 2013 and continues to travel the world as a member of Team USA. With his sights set on gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Sam’s training schedule is rigorous and focused. Based in South Florida, Sam continues to train at the University of Miami (where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 2015) under Coaches Randy Ableman and Dario Di Fazio.

Sam spends much of his time off the diving board with his dog Hank and at the beach to decompress from the stresses of competition. Life in South Florida lends itself to plenty of time on a boat and spearfishing, one of his favorites pastimes. Sam is also dedicated to volunteering in the community to encourage others to follow their dreams and to show the benefits of sportsmanship through coaching and teaching.